ENOUGH ALREADY - S.L. COUNTY WON'T PUT CONSOLIDATION ON BALLOT

Three initiatives and a pair of constitutional propositions are enough questions on the Nov. 8 election ballot, Salt Lake County has decided.

The county will not use the vote to conduct a non-binding referendum on two questions designed to assess public support for countywide consolidation of local government and a merger of law enforcement agencies.County commissioners last July had proposed putting the two questions on the ballot, although the vote would have simply tested public opinion on the consolidation questions and not had the force of law.

But with three tax-cutting initiatives and two proposals to amend the state constitution already to be decided by voters, commissioners felt their questions would have further cluttered an already crowded ballot.

The non-binding questions may have confused voters, and confused voters tend to vote no on everything, said Commissioner Mike Stewart. Thus, the referendum may not have been an accurate gauge of public opinion on consolidation.

Taxpayers For Utah, an organization of prominent Utahns who oppose the tax initiatives, asked commissioners not to put the consolidation questions before voters, fearing that the consolidation issue would distract from its public education effort on the initiatives.